Method of and apparatus for loading material



June 5, 1923. 3,458,043 F. S. FOLLANSBEE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORLOADING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 26 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1923.11,458,043

F. s. FOLLANSBEE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING MATERIAL Filed Nov.26 1921 s sheessheet 2 IA I km) i \P/" A g u W g a g 3 )3 i Q I 3 M I A?v Q t "1 g I A i F) g: i I i 5 June 5:, 1923. I 1,4 ,58fl43 F. SFOLLANSBEE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 261921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mm k w P? W N Nm H B H S I HE U: U: x

Patented June 5, i923.

FRANK S. FOLLANSBEE, OF GRANT TOWN, WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING MATERIAL.

Application filed November 26, 1921.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. FoLLANsnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grant Town, in the county of Marion and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsof and Apparatus for Loading Ma terial, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a novel method of and apparatus for removingmaterial from mines and while the invention is designed primarily foruse in coal mines, the principles thereof may equally as well be carriedout where other material is to be mined. The present practice, in coalmining for example is to run a loading machine into the drift from whichthe coal is to be removed, run a single car into the drift in positionto receive the coal taken up and delivered by the loading machine, drawthis car from the drift, run another car into the drift, load the sameand withdraw it, repeating this operation until all of the loose coalhas been removed from the drift. This is a laborious and time consumingmethod of procedure however for it is only possible to load one car at atime because but one car can be positioned within the drift in loadingrelation to the loading machine. It is obvious that if a train of carscould be introduced into the drift and all cars of the train loaded withthe coal tobe removed in practically a single operation, much time andlabor would be saved and it would be possible to perform the task by theemployment of a less number of workmen. Therefore it is the primary oiject of the present invention to evolve a method and devise an apparatuswhereby the loading operation may be carried on in the manner stated,and with this object in view the invention contemplates the use of theordinary loading machine employed in the usual manner, and the provisionof means whereby the coal or other material taken up by this machine maybe loaded onto the successive cars of a train, and the entire train ofloaded cars withdrawn from the drift in one operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction'ofapparatus for carrying out the method above outlined in a mostexpeditious manner.

Serial No. 517,958.

In the accompanyinodrawings;

Figure 1 is a semi- Tiagrammatic View illustrating the apparatusembodying the invention and the method by which the mined material istransferred from the loading machine to the train of cars;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the delivery section of the conveyormechanism comprising the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of said section;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of an intermediate portion of the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a similar View on the line 77 of Figure 5.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates in a general way the method and theapparatus by which the mined material is transferred from the loadingmachine to a train of cars, the view representing, for the purpose ofillustration, a gangway or gallery indicated by the reference letters Gand a drift D which leads from the gallery G in the usual manner andterminates in the breast B. The

reference letter T represents the usual track rails which are laid inthe gallery G and drift D and over which the loading machine, indicatedin general by the reference letter L, and the mine cars indicated ingeneral by the reference letter C, are to be moved. Heretofore it hasbeen customary to run the loading machine L along the track T throughthe gallery G and into the drift D and to a point close to the breast Bwhere it might operate to take up the mined material broken down fromthe breast. After so positioning the loading machine, the practice hasbeen to run a single mine car into the drift along the track T and to aposition in rear of the loading machine L in which position it wouldreceive the mined material delivered from the said machine. When thiscar had been filled it would be drawn along the track from the drift andinto the gallery and another car would then be coupled onto the minelocomotive and driven into the drift to loading position. However thisoperation required considerable time particularly in the switching backand forth of the empty and loaded cars. As previously provided, in addiindicated however the present invention contemplates running a train ofempty cars along the track T into the drift D in position rearwardly ofthe loading machine L, and then loading the material delivered from themachine into the first car of the train or more specifically that carnearest the locomotive and the most remote from the loading machine,advancing the train the length of one car after this first car has beenloaded,

and continuing the operation until the entire train of empties has beenloaded.

For the purposes of the invention there is 't1on to the rails comprisingthe track T, a rail R which extends parallel to and between the firstmentioned rails so that the composite track thus provided embodies ineffect a track of standard gauge and a narrow gauge track, one of therails of the track T constituting a component rail for the rail R, inthe latter instance, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. At apoint adjacent the entry to the drift D, a rail R is led off from thespecifically mentioned track rail T, and the rail R is led parallel tothe rail B so .as to provide a sid ing extending parallel to the maintrack and longitudinally within the drift, this siding being indicatedby the reference letter S.

The apparatus embodying the invention is in the nature of a conveyorpreferably of the endless belt type which conveyor comprises a number ofline sections indicated in gen eral by the numeral 1, and a deliverysection indicated by the numeral 2, The construction of the linesections is best illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawingsand each of these sections comprises front and rear trucks, indicatedrespectively, in general, by the numerals3 and 4 which trucks areconnected in suitably spaced relation by an underframe or reach barindicated by the numeral 5. The trucks are provided with wheels 6 whichare designed to travel upon the track rails R and R and the trucks aretherefore of narrow gauge. The trucks 3 and 4 of each section 1 supportthe conveyor mechanism of the respective section and this mechanismcomprises a bed frame including side sills which are indicated by thenumeral 7 and which are suitably connected and relatively spaced andpreferably of the angle iron construction shown in Figures 6 and 7 eachsill including the usual web portion 8 and outstanding upper and lowerflanges 9. The bed frame 7 is supported upon a bolster 10 upon the fronttruck 3 and upon a bolster 11 upon the rear truck 4, and if desired oneor the other of these bolsters may be'rendered vertically adjustable bythe provision of supporting jack screws 12'as illustrated for example inthe instance of the forward truck 3 in Figure 5 of the drawings. Byreference to this figure it will be observed that the bed frame of thetends part way over the rear end of the sec tion 1 immediately inadvance of it so that the coal or other material being transferred willbe delivered from the forward end of one section onto the rear end ofthe section in advance thereof and so on throughout the entire train orline of sections.

The endless conveyor belt of each of the conveyor sections 1 isindicated in general by the numeral 18 and this belt is supported fortravel in a manner to provide an upper conveyor stretch 14 and a loweridle stretch 15, The belt is trained over a drive roll 16 at the forwardend of the bed frame 7 and over an idle roll 17 at the rear end of saidbed frame, it being understood that the upper stretch 14 may be passedover suitable intermediate idle rolls or roll assemblages indicated bythe numeral 18 and be thus afforded support throughout its length. Theroll 16 is fixed upon a shaft 19 journaled in suitable bearings upon theside sills of the bed frame at the front end therof, and by reference toFigures 5, 6 and 7 it will be observed that the upper stretch 14 of thebelt travels between the said side sills and substantially in a planewith the upper sides of said sills. The lower stretch of the belt ispassed over an idle roll 20 upon the bolster 10, over a similar idleroll 21 upon the bolster 11, and beneath an idle roll 22 mounted uponthe under frame or reach bar 5 as shown in Figure 5. In order that thebelt may be driven, a pulley 23 is fixed upon one end of the shaft 19,and a belt 24 is trained over this pulley and over a pulley 25 fixedupon one end of a shaft 26 journaled in suitable bearings upon the sidesills of the bed frame. A pulley 27 is fixed upon the shaft 26, and abelt 28 is trained. over this pulley and over a pulley 29 upon the shaftof an electric motor 30 which is supported in any suitable mannerbetween the said side sills.

The coal or other material to be transferred is carried by and upon theupper stretch of the conveyor belt between the side plates 31 supportedby suitable standards 32 mounted upon the side beams of the bed frame ofthe conveyor. The side plates 31 preferably occupy upwardly divergingplanes and their loweredges are extended longitudinally above thelateral marginal portions of the upper stretch 14 of the conveyor beltand in order to prevent any of the material being laterally dischargedfrom the said stretch of the belt while being conveyed thereby, an apron33 of leather or other suitable material or composition of mainatesomewhat short of the rear end of the said belt so that when theconveyor sections are being drawn around a curve in the track upon whichtheir trucks are mounted for travel, the front and rear ends of adjacentones of the sect-ions will not interfere with each other but may assumesuitable relatively displaced positions. However when the sections arein alined position it is desirable that the space between the rear endsof the side plates 31 of each conveyor section and the forward ends ofthe side plates of the next adjacent section in rear thereof, be closedso that none of the material can escape and be wasted as it isdischarged from the front end of one section onto the rear end of theother section. With this end in view there is provided at the rear endof each conveyor section, means which will now be described. The saidmeans comprises side plate sections which are indicated by the numeral34 and which are slidably disposed against the inner or opposite facesof the re s ective side plates 31, being provided upon t eir outer faceswith slides 35 which engage over the upper edges of the respective sideplates 31 and serve to support and guide the plat sections 34. Theslides 35 are located at the forward end portions of the plate sections34, and the rear end portions of these late sect-ions are supported, byoutstanding bracket members 36 which project laterally outwardly fromthe lower rear corner portions of the plate sections 34 and which attheir outer ends are bent to provide portions 37 engaging slidably aboutthe upper flanges 9 of the respective side sills of the conveyor bedframe. In this manner the side plate sections 34 are supported inupright position and "they may be slid forwardly or rearwardly withrelation to the associated side plates 31 and when slid in a forwarddirection as shown in dotted lines'in Figure 5 of cours provideclearance for the relative disolacement of the forward end of theassocia't ed conveyor section. When slid rearwardly to the full lineposition shown in this figure and in Figure 4, they will overlap, attheir upper rear corner portions, the projecting forward end of theportions of the side plates of the associated conveyor sections so thatwhen they occupy this latter position, substantially a closed trough isprovided continuously throughout the series of conveyor sections. As thesections of the conveyor are inclined upwardly from their rear ends totheir forward ends, it is desirable that means be provided forpreventing any loss of 'the coal or other material which might resultfrom the material shifting baclrwardly upon the upper stretch of theconveyor belt at the time it is discharged from the forward end of onesection onto the rear end of the other sect-ion, and this means, in thedrawings, comprises a b-afiie plate 38 which is disposed to extendtransversely between the side plate sections 34 and is inclined upwardlyand rearwardly and has its lower edge positioned close to the upper sideof the upper stretch 14 of the conveyor belt,

the upper or rear edge of the baffle plate 38, when the plate is in thefull line position shown in Figure 5, being located relatively close tothe portion of the conveyor belt of the rear conveyor section whichpasses over the drive roll 16.

From the foregoing it will be understood that coal or other materialdeposited onto the upper stretch of the; conveyor belt of the rearmostconveyor, considering the direction of travel of the upper stretches ofthe belts of the several sections, will be carried upwardly by the upperstretch of the respective belt, and discharged onto: the upper stretchof the belt of the next succeeding section in line. In this manner thecoal or other material is carried continuously from the receiving end ofthe conveyor, as a whole to the delivery section of the conveyor uponwhich latter section it will be discharged into the car or cars to beloaded.

The delivery section of the conveyor which is best illustrated inFigures 2 and 3 of the drawings, comprises front and rear trucksindicated respectively in general by the nu merals 39 and 40, thesetrucks embodying wheels 41 for travel upon the track rails of the narrowgauge track heretofore referred to. The trucks 39 and 40 are connectedby an under frame or reach bar 42, and a turntable 43 is mounted uponthe rear truck 40 and is provided with spaced pedestals 44 between whichis supported the rear end of the bed frame of the said conveyor section,The said bed frame comprises, as in the former instance, side sills 45which in this instance have their forward portions extendedsubstantially horizontally and their rear portions directed downwardlyat an angle as at 46. A shaft 47 is journaled in suitable bearings inthe rear ends of the portions 46 of the side sills and projecting endsof this shaft are mounted in the pedestals 44 so that the bed frame mayhave upward tilting movement about the shaft 47 as a center for apurpose to be presently explained. The shaft 47 also supports a driveroll 48 over which the conveyor belt 49 of this section is trained, theupper stretch of the belt, indicated by the numeral 50 passprising theingfrom the roll 48 over an idler roll 51 and then about an idle roll 52located at the front end of the bed frame. The lower stretch of the belt49, indicated by the numeral 53, passes from the roll 52 beneath an idleroll 54 located in advance of the truck 39, over an idle roll 55 locatedwithin the bed frame above and at the rear of the said truck 39, andthence to the roll 48. Drive mechanism 56, of the general constructionand arrangement illustrated and described in connection with the linesections of the conveyor is arranged, as illustrated in Figure 3,between the roll 48 so as to impart travel to the belt 49. Also thissection of the conveyor is provided with side plates 57 corresponding tothe side plates 31 previously described and with slidably adjustableside plate sections 58 corresponding to the plate sections 34.

When the delivery section of the conveyor is in aligned position aboveits supporting trucks 39 and 40, its intermediate or forward portionwill rest upon and be supported by the frame structure of the truck 39but because of the provision of the turntable 43 this section of theconveyor is adapted to be swung laterally in the manner shown forexample in full lines in Figure 1 and dotted lines in Figure 2, so as tobe out ofalignment at its forward end with the line sections 1 of theconveyor and discharge the material at a point out of line with thesesections. Under these conditions the for ward ordischarge end of thedelivery section will probably be supported by the engagement of a hook59, located at its forward end, over a rod or cable 60 which extendsbetween posts or uprights 61 which may be arranged and supported in anysuitable manner within the drift in which the material transferringoperation is to take place.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be evident that theloading operation may be carried on in the following manner: The loadingmachine L is run into the drift over the track T to a point adjacent thebreast 15 and in working relation to the material tobe loaded. At thistime or after the loading machine has been properly disposed, theconveyor apparatus comline and delivery sections is likewise run intothe drift and past the switch and onto the siding S. Then the train ofcars C to be loaded-is run into the drift over the main track rails andin position parallel to the line sections of the conveyor. The

delivery section 2 of the conveyor is then swung laterally so as tobring its discharge end above the end car of the train, and theapparatus is set in operation so as to cause the loading machine L totake up the material and deliver it upon the endmost line the rearportions 46 of the sills of the bed frame and serves to drive section 1of the conveyor, convey it from one to another of these sectionsthroughout the series, and finally deliver it through the medium of thedelivery section 2 into the end car of the train. When this car has beenloaded the train is advanced substantially the length of one car so asto bring the next empty car into position to receive the materialdischarged from the delivery section, and this operation is continueduntil all of the cars of the train have been loaded whereupon they maybe drawn from the mine.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A conveyor comprising a plurality of line sections arranged todeliver material from one to another, the delivery end of one sectionbeing positioned above the receiving end of the next adjacent section inline, each of said sections embodying an endless conveyor belt and meansfor imparting travel thereto, side plates extending longitudinally ofthe conveyor stretch of the belt, the delivery end of one section beingspaced from the adjacent ends of the side plates of the other section topermit of relative displacement of said sections in a lateral direction,and plat-e sections slidably associated with the side plates andadjustable to position spanning the space between the delivery end ofone section and section.

2. A conveyor comprising a plurality of line sections arranged todeliver material from one to another, the delivery end of one sectionbeing positioned above the receiving end of the next adjacent section inline, each of said sections embodying an endless conveyor belt and meansfor imparting travel thereto, side plates extending longitudinally ofthe conveyor stretch of the belt, the delivery end of one section beingspaced from the adjacent ends of the side plates of the other section topermit of relative displacement of said sections in a lateral direction,and a baflie plate extending between the said plate sections above theconveyor stretch of v the belt.

3. A conveyor comprising spaced trucks a turntable upon one of thetrucks, a conveyor flight including a frame structure mounted at one endupon the turntable whereby to adapt it to be swung laterally about theaxis of the table, the other truck constituting a support for the saidframev structure of the conveyor flight when the flight is in alignmentwith the trucks, and means independent of the last mentioned truck forsupporting the said flight when the flight is adjusted to extendlaterally at an angle. a

4. The method of loading material in a mine drift which comprisesoperating a loading machine substantially at the breast of the drift,positioning a train of cars to be the side plates of the next loaded inrear of said machine and on a ing machine to the endmost car of thtrackway extending into the drift and from and advancing the train carby car along the drift into a gallery of the mine, 0perat thefirst-mentione d traekway and outwardly 10 ing a conveyer Within thedrift on a trackfrom the drift into the gallery, as the suc- 0 Waybranching from the first-mentioned C SS VG 0 's thereOf are loaded.

trackWay and extending parallel thereto In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature. whereby to convey material from the load- FRAN K S.FOLLANSBEE. [11. s.]

e train,

